This invention relates generally to the art of gas scrubbers for removing particulates from aerosols and more specifically to gas scrubbers of the type generally referred to as impingement separators or particle impactors in which the particle-containing gas is jetted into a liquid film for particulate removal by the liquid film.
In the art of removal of particles suspended in a gas the usual methods include sedimentation by gravity or by centrifugation, filtration, electrostatic collection and water-spray scrubbing. In the case of collection of particles suspended in large volumes of gas with relatively small volumes of liquid the usual method is that of impingement of the particles into a small, fixed volume of liquid by means of a gas jet. Even in this type of collector, it is necessary to rinse the liquid container to transfer all of the collected particles, thus increasing the final volume and interrupting the operation. In a static liquid impinger, unwanted chemical and physical changes, such as deterioration or saturation of, or resuspension from the liquid can also occur.
There is a need for an impingement type scrubber in which particulates may be removed from gas suspension continuously in an apparatus which does not require interruption for rinsing with the attendant dilution of the collected particles, and will minimize effects of aging, saturation, or resuspension.